Ice crusher



Feb. 19, 1952 MARIAN] 2,586,678

ICE CRUSHER Filed Aug. 26, 1947 a Sheets-Sheet 1 0/0 X y g m n W {I W \\\\Nv u H bl fl lNVENTOR W MW ATTORNEY F. N. MARIANl Feb. 19, 1952 ICE CRUSHER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1947 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Fb. 19, 1952 F, MARlANl 2,586,678

' ICE CRUSHER Filed Aug. 26, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE CRUSHER Frank N. Mariani, New York, N. Y.

Application August 26, 1947, Serial No. 770,743

4 Claims. 1

The subject matter of this invention is a functionally and structurally improved ice crusher wherein a reciprocable plunger effectively cooperates with an appropriate grate to, shatter instantaneously and in all directions a block of ice mounted on the grate. The dominant object of the invention is concerned with an ice crusher of the type alluded to particularly adapted for home use and wherein the block of ice is dispersed instantly into relatively small chips on impact by the plunger to preclude packing or clogging of the grate and thus advantageously facilitate dropping of the chips downwardly and through the grate. The invention has as a further object the provison of a serviceable grate or anvil having a plurality of parallel ice block supporting bars each embodying a plurality of primary ice crushing teeth having relatively fiat and biased peaks disposed in advance of relatively sharp edges of shaving or ancillary teeth interconnecting the crushing teeth, the arrangement being such that the crushing teeth are disposed along imaginary and concentric circles while the shaving or ancillary teeth which are below the crushing teeth define spaced grooves also located along imaginary and concentric circles. The invention comprehends as a further object the provision of a rugged and durable plunger or hammer having a plurality of concentrically arranged ribs or teeth having fiat lower faces adapted to be removably received in the grooves of the grate and defining a plurality of annular concentric channels or grooves for removably receiving the teeth of the bars, the plunger creating on its down stroke an explosive impact against an ice block supported on the blades of the grate whereby the primary teeth of the blades initially but promptly crack and sever the ice block into small fragments while the ancillary teeth shave or reduce the fragments further to permit their falling downwardly through the grate to preclude clogging of the latter by the shattered fragments. Another object is to provide an ice crusher which is easy to load and control and which is quick and reliable in operation. Another object is to provide an ice grate in the form'of a cup adapted to be conveniently inserted into and removed from the ice crusher and embodying means to facilitate drainage or comminuted ice particles or chips inadvertently over spilling and including an antisplash skirt characterizing a nozzle or chute for directing the crushed ice fragments into suitable receptacles as desired. Other salient objects and important advantages will appear from the following detailed specification taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the ice crusher according to my invention shown in an open relation but partly broken away and partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a a transverse sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. '2 particularly illustrating the cross head of the reciprocable rack bar.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary and sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 illustrating the reciprocable plunger fully raised from the ice supporting grate or anvil.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 however showing the plunger on its down stroke and initially contacting the ice block mounted on the grate.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but depicting the plunger shattering the ice block in all directions and the chips falling downwardly through the grate.

Fig. 7 shows the plunger at the end of its down stroke.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the concentrically ribbed hammer. I

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the grate or anvil.

Fig. 10 is a vertical cross sectional view on the line Illl0of Fig. 9, and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the grate shown partly broken away.

According to the invention a grate generally denoted I0 is removably retained by an annular shelf ll of a fruit juice squeezer of support FJ. Shelf or seat ll projects from a suitable hollow column l2 having an appropriate base 13 which includes anti-scratching rubber feet l4 and slidable into and out of the column is the guided stabilizer [5 also provided with anti-marring rubber feet l6. Grate [0 serves as an anvil for supporting an ice block I! adapted to be crushed into small chips on impact of the ribbed or toothed plunger or hammer l8 having its upper end removably and threadably connected to the hollow carrier or hood I9 fastened to the rack bar 20 advantageously reciprocably guided relative to the column.

Fixedly attached to rack bar 20 is the cross head 2| having cam slot 22 cooperating with the eccentrically disposed pin 23 of a crank arm 24 for reciprocating bar 20 on actuation of the rotary handle or lever 26 which includes an extendible and slidably guided manipulatable rod 21.

The handle 26 is suitably rotatably sustained opening stroke the carriage first opensslqwly and thereafter quickly.

The apparatus hereinbefore referred to apart from the grate l and hammer I8 is more fully. disclosed in my copending application Serial No.

690,140 filed August 13, 1946, which has become;

abandoned, for fruit juice extractorsand is merely described generally herein for removably sus taining the grate l0 and theice breakingplung a er 3.

In efiect the grate i0 is a cup and is in the form of an annular shell 30 having the laterally extending annularrim 3!. Integral-with ShelI- -SO-endarranged therein are the spaced and parallel blades broadly designated 32, 33, 34 and 35. The inside blades 33 and 3d each includespaced-primary or crushing teeth36, 31, 38, 39, 46 and 4| having their apices provided respectively with the flat and downwardly and inwardly sloping or biased faces 32, t3, 4 %,:35, 66 and 67 (Fig. 10.) Teeth 38 and 39- are atabout the same elevation but are disposed'below the flat peaks of teeth 31 and 40 which are less in height than the outside and flat peaked teeth SIS-and ii. Blades 33 and 3B are desirably beveled to provide ancillary teeth having the cuttingor shaving edges 48 integral with, but disposed below and bridging the-primary teeth 36 to 4|.

The outside blades 32 and 35 each embodyfour flatpeaked primary or crushing teeth 55-, 5!, 52 and 53 having the fiat rectilinear-surfaces 54, 55, 56 and 51 sloping downwardly andinwardly. Integral with and interconnecting teeth-5E 5t, 52 and 53 are the beveled and shaving" teeth arranged between the primary teethand also providing the intervening cuttin or shaving-edges 58.

As is evident from an inspection of Fig. 9, primary teeth 38-and 39-ofthe inner blades-33- and 34 are disposed along animaginary circle. Primaryteeth 5|, 52, 40, 40, 52; and 5l-of' the spaced blades or bars 32-, 33; 36-and- 35 -arealso on an imaginary but larger scale. Primary teeth 50, 53, 4i, 4!, 53 and 530i the blades aredisposed on an even larger'imaginary circle; By the-arrangement it-is apparent-that a'plurality of annular and concentric rows-of primary teeth are formed on the blades of gratel0 desirably spaced apart and consequently constitutinga plurality of concentrically arranged grooves-in partcharacterized by the shaving edges 48- and 58 which also form the upper portions of the concentrically arranged ancillary or supplementary shaving teeth disposed at progressively difierent-elevations and below the primary crushing teeth.

Specifically the hammer or plunger [8 embodies the threaded shank 56-removably engaging the internally threaded bore 5| of the carrieror hood 19. The Plunger is formed of a suitable hard metal and comprises a solid body havingapluralityof annular and concentrically arranged depending and beveled flat bottom ortrunca-ted-ribs or teeth 62, 53 and 64 radially spacedfrom the tapered centrally arranged and depending spike or tooth 65. The annular ribsor teeth aredisposed at progressively increasing elevations relative to spike 65 and define annular-andtapered channels 66, 61 and 68 which are adapted to receive at least the upper portions of the primary teeth of the blades 32 to 35 when the plunger i8 is in its full down position. The annular ribs 62, 63, and 64 are adapted to be received by the grooves between the primary teeth of the grate which grooves are obviously likewise concentrically arranged and consequently it may be said that the teeth of the blades and the ribsof the plunger or hammer are adapted to removablymesh.

If it be assumed that the ice crusher is in the fully raised or opened position illustrated in Figs. land 4, a block of ice I! may be readily mounted within the grate or anvil I0 and particularly on the teeth of the blades thereof. Thereafter handle 26"is rotated to cause the crank pin 23 and thespinion-deiinedby teeth 28 to operate rack 20 and it follows the hood is driven downwardly carrying-therewith the plunger i8 which applies a crushing downwardly directed force or impact on the ice block shatter-ingthe. latter instantaneously into small chips and-din all directions.

The chips formed tall downwardly through the grate into a tumbler-orreceptacle .(not shown) mounted on the basei l3. The lower portion of the shell 39 constitutes a splash precludingnozzle for directing the chipsintothe tumbler and the annular and: truncatedinsertfifi frictionally fitting onshell Bil andtannular.rimcr flange 31. characterizes .means .to.prevent: the chips; from falling into. fiange. 3.l... The insert also aids to drain on. residual. piecesot ice inadvertently spilling over the shellon-the crushing stroke.

As previously stated packingorclogging of the grate. is precluded. in i that; if the ice block is insufiiciently crackedion therinitial part. of the crushing stroke of; thehplungery the, clogging portions of the blockremaining on the grate are on theresiduallportion: oi the down stroke in-. stantly reducedi-in size byzthe cuttin edges 28 and 58. of; the ancillaryeor;shavinghteeth. By such .actiomtheggrate is; kept; clear of jamming. Effective. shattering .cirtheiice ;b10ck takes place to. prevent .clogginggevene during a single downstroke of. the plunger "which. creates the required, explosive and; sudden; impact, against, the ice which is crackedtand shapediagainst and by the grate also during. asingle down. stroke of. the handle.

Various changesmay be made inthe details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the-- spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of theadvantages thereof inherent therein.

1. In an ice crushera shell; agrate within said shell" and having a plurality of parallel spaced bars disconnected'irorn each-other but having their" ends only merged with said" shell, each of"said"l:v ar. s havinga pluralitygof spaced ice cracking teeth and' spacedice shaving teeth integrally interposed" between and below said crackingteeth, said cracking teeth of each of said bars haying top flattened faces and the top flattened faces ofga bar being biased and at progressively higher elevations vthan the innermost top flattened, faces of said last/mentioned bar. whereby said top faces slope upwardly and outwardly away-fromthe central zone of said grate.

2. In an ice crusher, a shell, a grate within said shell andhavinga; plurality of parallel spaced bars disconnected from each other but having: their ends only -merged -with said shell, eachof saidbars -hairing a plurality of spaced ice cracking teeth and spaced ice shaving teeth integrally interposed between and below said cracking teeth, said cracking teeth of each of said bars having top flattened faces and the top flattened faces of a bar being biased and at progressively higher elevations than the in-' surrounding said shell intermediate the length thereof and integral therewith, and an upwardly contracted insert mounted on said rim and about said shell.

3. In a device of the character described, a

plunger comprising an axially arranged depending spike and having a plurality of concentrically disposed depending and spaced tapered ribs about I said spike and arranged upwardly and outwardly relative thereto and in part constituting there'- H with and with each other a plurality of concentric and spaced channels disposed at progressively higher elevations than the lower part of said spike, said ribs having spaced lower fiat substantially horizontal faces at progressively higher:

elevations than said lower part.

4. In an ice crusher, a shell, a grate within said shell and having a plurality of parallel progressively higher elevations than the innermost top flattened faces of said last mentioned bar whereby said top faces slope upwardlyiiand outwardly away from the central zone of said grate, a plunger removably receivable within said shell for cooperating with said grate and comprising an axially arranged depending spike and having a plurality of concentrically disposed depending and spaced ribs about said spike and arranged upwardly and outwardly relative thereto and in part constituting therewith and with each other a plurality of concentric and spaced channels disposed at progressively higher elevations than the lower part of said spike, said ribs having spaced lower flat substantially horizontal faces at progressively higher elevations than said lower part, and means for displacing said plunger relative to said grate.

FRANK N. MARIANI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 602,088 Morgan Apr. 12, 1898 608,368 Lawson Aug. 2, 1898 654,593 Baumgarten July 31, 1900 684,240 Hiles Oct. 8, 1901 824,587 Ruehs et al June 26, 1906 970,863 Waldvogel Sept. 20, 1910 1,259,145 Sharp Mar. 12, 1918 1,972,735 Fischer Sept. 4, 1934 1,987,302 Majewski Jan. 8, 1935 2,018,932 Thorne Oct. 29, 1935 2,046,396 Matter et a1. July 7, 1936 2,318,911 Zweber May 11, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 421,353 Germany Nov. 10, 1925 

